Nationally, the U.S. population rose from 281 million to 308 million during the decade, a 9.7 percent jump.

The bureau uses that data to apportion the 435 available seats in the House of Representatives among the 50 states based on population.

In Missouri, redistricting will put about 750,000 people in each district, compared with the 660,000 it has with nine seats.

Losing a seat means the Missouri General Assembly must redraw the districts to eliminate one district for the 113th Congress, which begins meeting in 2013.

"No preconceived outcomes, no maps have been drawn," state Rep. John Diehl, R-Town and Country, said Tuesday.

"The process of congressional redistricting is just like any other bill. We'll file a bill in the House and work off the existing map," said Diehl, who is chairman of the House Committee on Redistricting.

Although the Census Bureau has released the apportionment data, the local population breakdown within individual states has not yet been released. Without that data, Diehl said, he didn't know which areas in Missouri might be directly affected by the loss of the seat.

Diehl said the map would be redrawn by the end of the legislative session in May.

The redistricting process begins by initiating a bill in the state House, which continues via committee and legislative passage until signed by the governor.

Gov. Jay Nixon released a statement Tuesday regretting the loss of a seat but vowing that the process would move forward "openly, transparently and fairly."

Reapportionment could alter the makeup of the University of Missouri System Board of Curators, as well.

Comments

The flow of people south and west is largely the migration of retirees away from colder, bitter climates. Those same south and west states saw by far the biggest real estate bubbles, and are now being hit the hardest by the financial collapse. Older retirees are also Fox News' biggest audience and most faithful viewers / believers.

Red states, indeed. Watch their ink get that much redder as welfare for seniors gets gutted.